City of Piedmont
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
DATE: February 3, 2025
TO: Mayor and Council
FROM: Rosanna Bayon Moore, City Administrator
SUBJECT: Overview of Staffing Study by Matrix Inc. for the Piedmont Police Department
RECOMMENDATION
This report is submitted for information purposes only.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this agenda item is to provide the City Council and community with an overview of the staffing study completed by Matrix, Inc. The staffing study project was one element of a multi-point plant provided in late 2023 to address crime related issues. The staffing study also provides the City of Piedmont, and community with an opportunity to assess the Department’s functioning and organization relative to future changes associated with increased housing, public safety demands, evolving technology and a key planning as the community considers future public safety facility needs.
ANALYSIS
The attached staffing study provides several observations and recommendations relative to the operations of the Department. It is important to view the report as a tool and aid, but not as a literal road map of how the City and Department choose to address the identified areas. Fiscal constraints, real-world realities, staff expertise, and community needs are all contextual elements which the City must consider.
Staff has provided the following responses (last column) to the Summary of Recommendations (first four columns) which is included in the attached Executive Summary:
Functional Area Recommendations Priority Timeframe Response Operations Bureau
Patrol Maintain the current staffing of 4
Sergeants.
High Current Concur
Maintain 13 officer positions. 10
Officers assigned to patrol, 2
Officers assigned to Traffic, and
1 Officer assigned as Juvenile
Liaison.
High Current Concur
Maintain 2 full-time Community
Services Officers and 1 part-time
High Current Concur
Community Service Officer.
Operations Support Increase Operations staffing by 1
Sergeant, creating an
Administrative Sergeant position
who will assume duties
associated with training program
management, other
administrative tasks, supervise
department detectives and the
future Crime Analyst.
High 1 – 2 years Explore
reclassification
of detective
position to
Administrative
Sergeant
Increase department staffing by 1
non-sworn Analyst to analyze
crime data and trends. This
position could also function as a
budget analyst for the
Department.
High 1 – 2 years Explore
modification of
existing job
descriptions to
include analyst
training or
working with
another small
jurisdiction to
split an analyst
position.
Train all department employees
in problem-oriented policing, hotspot policing strategies, and evidence-based policing
practices.
Medium 1 – 2 years Concur
Develop a comprehensive
strategy of community
engagement which includes
individual officers in patrol as
well as more planned events such
as police town hall meetings.
High Immediate Achieved
through Cop on
the Block, NNO,
Coffee, Cars,
Cops, Bark in
the Park, etc.
Investigations Evaluate current department
investigative practices to
maximize effectiveness.
High Immediate Concur
Training Ensure that Police Officers
receive at least 40 hours of inservice training per year.
High Immediate Explore staffing,
budgeting
capacity to
implement
Continue to incorporate police
training national best practices
recommendations into the
department’s training
philosophies and methodologies.
High Immediate Concur
Policies & Complaints Include statistical summaries,
citizen complaints received, types
of offenses investigated, case
dispositions, and discipline
High Immediate Concur,
Implemented
Agenda Report Page 2 of 9
received when appropriate in the
department’s annual report.
Support Services Bureau
Dispatch Increase Dispatch authorized
staffing by 3 full-time Public
Safety Dispatchers for a total of 9
full-time Public Safety
Dispatchers and 1 per-diem
Public Safety Dispatcher. Explore
adding part time dispatchers as
an alternative to address gaps.
Medium 1 – 2 years Staffing has
increased to 7
authorized
positions.
Concur with
exploring part
time staff
Designate lead dispatch positions
at times when the Dispatch
Supervisor is not on shift.
Medium 1 – 2 years Explore role and
need with staff
Explore opportunities to bring
other Alameda County agencies
into the dispatch center.
Medium Immediate Previously
considered,
concur
Records If dispatch staffing is not
increased, increase Records
Specialist staffing by 1, for a total
of 2 Records Specialists.
Medium 1 – 2 years Explore adding a
part time
Records
Specialist
Property & Evidence Develop an auto-alert mechanism
that notifies Property and
Evidence personnel of property
purge dates.
Medium 1 – 2 years Concur
Develop protocols concerning
emergency and disaster planning
to include procedures for
removal, tracking, transportation,
and relocation of property, and
identify an alternate
evidence/property storage area if
evacuation is necessary.
High Immediate Concur
Ensure the department property
manual reflects current property
room requirements and
mandates as outlined in
department policy.
High Immediate Concur, In
Process
Update property/evidence policy
to include best practices as
described in the diagnostic
assessment tool.
High Immediate Concur, In
Process
Integrate Property Room barcode
software and equipment into the
current property management
Medium 1 – 2 years Recently
Implemented
Agenda Report Page 3 of 9
system.
Police Technology Create a department technology
committee to analyze future
department technology needs.
Medium 1 – 2 years Concur
In addition to the presentation to the City Council, this topic will be placed as an agenda item before the Public Safety Committee.
ATTACHMENTS
Executive Summary, Police Department Staffing Study: Piedmont, California Matrix Consulting Group.
By: Jeremy Bowers, Chief of Police
Agenda Report Page 4 of 9
Police Department Staffing Study
PIEDMONT, CALIFORNIA
October 24, 2024
Attachment Agenda Report Page 5 of 9
Police Department Staffing Study Piedmont, CA
Matrix Consulting Group 1
1. Introduction and Executive Summary
The Matrix Consulting Group was retained by the City of Piedmont to conduct a comprehensive analysis of police operations to determine appropriate and optimum staffing levels while ensuring management of operations is efficient. This document provides the analysis and findings of that effort.
Matrix Consulting Group, founded over 21 years ago, has extensive experience with similar assessments for over 400 police departments in California and across the country (as well as in Canada). Our firm has assisted police departments improve workload balance, management, and operations, and attaining 21st Century Policing goals. (1) Scope of Work
The scope of this study included the assessment of current enforcement operations, response capabilities, staffing, and other resources necessary for the delivery of services to the city. A review of services and the delivery of those services should be performed periodically to ensure needs are being met. This project focused on the emergency services system delivery that included:
• Proactivity
• Resource allocations
• Current staffing and implications for the future
• Management of resources
• Responsiveness to the public
Piedmont is a city that has a tradition and expectation from the community of exceptional service levels. This assessment is intended to demonstrate that or develop a plan to address any gaps.
(2) Approaches Utilized in the Study
Data utilized in this study was developed based on the work conducted by the project team, including.
• Interviews conducted with staff
• Collection and analysis of workload and service data
• A review of operational documents and reports, budget data, organizational structure, and key practices
Attachment Agenda Report Page 6 of 9
Police Department Staffing Study Piedmont, CA
Matrix Consulting Group 2
(3) Strategic Improvement Opportunities
The following table provides a summary of recommendations established in this report.
The report itself should be reviewed to understand the factual basis behind each recommendation as well as the analysis leading to each recommendation. Where appropriate recommendations have been prioritized to assist in the allocation of resources and achievement of strategic objectives.
Summary of Recommendations
Functional Area Recommendations Priority Timeframe
Operations Bureau
Patrol Maintain the current staffing of 4 Sergeants. High Current Maintain 13 officer positions. 10 Officers
assigned to patrol, 2 Officers assigned to
Traffic, and 1 Officer assigned as Juvenile
Liaison.
High Current
Maintain 2 full-time Community Services
Officers and 1 part-time Community Service
Officer.
High Current
Operations Support Increase Operations staffing by 1 Sergeant, creating an Administrative Sergeant position
who will assume duties associated with
training program management, other
administrative tasks, supervise department
detectives and the future Crime Analyst.
High 1 – 2 years
Increase department staffing by 1 non-sworn
Analyst to analyze crime data and trends.
This position could also function as a budget
analyst for the Department.
High 1 – 2 years
Train all department employees in problemoriented policing, hot-spot policing strategies, and evidence-based policing practices.
Medium 1 – 2 years
Develop a comprehensive strategy of
community engagement which includes
individual officers in patrol as well as more
planned events such as police town hall
meetings.
High Immediate
Investigations Evaluate current department investigative practices to maximize effectiveness.
High Immediate
Training Ensure that Police Officers receive at least 40 hours of in-service training per year.
High Immediate
Attachment Agenda Report Page 7 of 9
Police Department Staffing Study Piedmont, CA
Matrix Consulting Group 3
Functional Area Recommendations Priority Timeframe
Continue to incorporate police training
national best practices recommendations
into the department’s training philosophies
and methodologies.
High Immediate
Policies & Complaints Include statistical summaries, citizen complaints received, types of offenses
investigated, case dispositions, and discipline
received when appropriate in the
department’s annual report.
High Immediate
Support Services Bureau
Dispatch Increase Dispatch authorized staffing by 3
full-time Public Safety Dispatchers for a total
of 9 full-time Public Safety Dispatchers and 1
per-diem Public Safety Dispatcher. Explore
adding part time dispatchers as an
alternative to address gaps.
Medium 1 – 2 years
Designate lead dispatch positions at times
when the Dispatch Supervisor is not on shift.
Medium 1 – 2 years
Explore opportunities to bring other Alameda
County agencies into the dispatch center.
Medium Immediate
Records If dispatch staffing is not increased, increase Records Specialist staffing by 1, for a total of
2 Records Specialists.
Medium 1 – 2 years
Property & Evidence Develop an auto-alert mechanism that notifies Property and Evidence personnel of
property purge dates.
Medium 1 – 2 years
Develop protocols concerning emergency
and disaster planning to include procedures
for removal, tracking, transportation, and
relocation of property, and identify an
alternate evidence/property storage area if
evacuation is necessary.
High Immediate
Ensure the department property manual
reflects current property room requirements
and mandates as outlined in department
policy.
High Immediate
Update property/evidence policy to include
best practices as described in the diagnostic
assessment tool.
High Immediate
Attachment Agenda Report Page 8 of 9
Police Department Staffing Study Piedmont, CA
Matrix Consulting Group 4
Functional Area Recommendations Priority Timeframe
Integrate Property Room barcode software
and equipment into the current property
management system.
Medium 1 – 2 years
Police Technology Create a department technology committee to analyze future department technology
needs.
Medium 1 – 2 years
Attachment Agenda Report Page 9 of 9